Malcolm Rivera
The original U.S. Constitution, which came into effect in 1789, did not explicitly define who was eligible to vote, leaving it to the states to determine eligibility. Consequently, there was considerable variation in voting rights across the nation, with most states restricting voting rights to white male property owners or taxpayers, while a few states allowed free Black men and women of any race to vote, provided they met property or tax requirements. Notably, women were largely prohibited from voting, except in some jurisdictions with property requirements. Amendments to the Constitution in the 19th and 20th centuries, such as the 15th Amendment (1870) and the 19th Amendment (1920), extended voting rights to men of all races and prohibited the denial of voting rights based on sex, respectively.
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What You'll Learn
Voting was restricted to white males who owned property
The original U.S. Constitution, which came into effect on March 9, 1789, did not define who was eligible to vote, leaving it to the states to determine the voting requirements. While the document refers to the election of members of Congress and of the President, it does not specify who can cast those votes.
In the early history of the U.S., most states restricted voting to white males who owned property or paid taxes. This was about 6% of the population. However, some states, like New Jersey, allowed free Black men and women of both races to vote, provided they met the property or tax requirements. In New Jersey, these property requirements were purposely set quite low. Additionally, some states employed religious tests to ensure that only Christian men could vote.
Over time, states began to expand voting rights to more citizens, but this process unfolded unevenly due to the lack of federal standardization. For example, Wyoming granted women the right to vote in 1869, long before it was achieved nationwide in 1920. Similarly, by about 1860, most white men without property had gained the right to vote. However, African Americans, women, Native Americans, and citizens between the ages of 18 and 21 had to fight for their voting rights.
It wasn't until the 19th and 20th centuries that amendments to the Constitution explicitly extended voting rights to a broader range of citizens. The 15th Amendment (1870) granted voting rights to men of all races, and the 19th Amendment (1920) prohibited states from denying the vote based on sex. These amendments, along with subsequent legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965, played a crucial role in expanding voting rights and ensuring a more inclusive and democratic electoral process in the United States.
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Some states allowed free Black men to vote
The original U.S. Constitution, which came into effect on March 9, 1789, did not define or specify voting rights for citizens. Instead, it allowed each state to determine who was eligible to vote. In the early history of the U.S., some states only allowed white male adult property owners to vote, while others did not specify race or specifically protected the rights of men of any race to vote.
Prior to the Civil War, free Black people had suffrage in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. However, the right to vote was later rescinded in New Jersey (1807) and Pennsylvania (1838). New York State's Constitution of 1821 imposed a heavy property ownership requirement on Black voters, effectively disenfranchising almost all of them. During this time, abolitionists fought to end slavery, and the call for suffrage grew.
In the 19th century, Black civil rights activists like Harriet Forten Purvis, Mary Ann Shadd Cary, and Frances Ellen Watkins Harper fought for the right to vote. Despite these efforts, the infamous "grandfather clause" was enacted to restrict voting rights to men who were previously allowed to vote, or whose male ancestors were allowed to vote, before 1867. This effectively disenfranchised Black voters, as they were not allowed to vote before the 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870.
The 15th Amendment extended voting rights to men of all races, but it was not enough to secure the voting rights of African Americans. They continued to face obstacles such as state constitutions and laws, poll taxes, literacy tests, intimidation, and fraud. It wasn't until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that voting rights were secured for adult citizens of all races and genders through federal laws that enforced the amendments.
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Women were largely prohibited from voting
The original U.S. Constitution, which came into effect on March 9, 1789, did not define who was eligible to vote, leaving it to the states to determine the qualifications for voting. This led to variations in voting rights across the country, with some states restricting voting rights to white male adult property owners, while others did not specify race or protected the rights of men of any race to vote. Notably, women were largely prohibited from voting, with only a few jurisdictions allowing women to vote if they met certain property or tax requirements. For instance, in New Jersey, women could vote until 1807 if they satisfied the property requirement, which was set relatively low. Similarly, in Wyoming, women gained the right to vote in 1869, long before the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which prohibited states from denying the vote based on sex.
The lack of a clear definition of voting rights in the original Constitution resulted in a power vacuum, allowing states to decide who was qualified to vote. This led to a significant variation in voting rights across the nation, with most states restricting voting rights to property-owning or tax-paying white males. However, a small number of free Blacks were among the voting citizens in some states, and in New Jersey, both races could vote if they met the property or tax requirements. Despite this, women were still largely excluded from the voting process, and it wasn't until the 19th Amendment that they gained the right to vote nationwide.
The fight for women's suffrage was a prolonged and arduous journey. It began in July 1848 with powerful calls for women's voting rights at a convention in Seneca Falls, New York. This convention marked the start of a decades-long campaign, led by women, to secure their right to vote. Despite the efforts of suffragists like Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, who organized events and founded organizations like the National Woman's Party, women still only had voting rights in a handful of states in the early 20th century. It wasn't until 1920 that the 19th Amendment was ratified, finally granting women the right to vote in national elections.
The original Constitution's silence on voting rights and the subsequent state-by-state variability in voting qualifications contributed to the prolonged disenfranchisement of women. While the 19th Amendment marked a significant victory for women's suffrage, the fight for equal voting rights continued well into the 20th century, with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 securing voting rights for adult citizens of all races and genders through federal laws that enforced the amendments.
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States could set their own voting requirements
The original U.S. Constitution, which came into effect on March 9, 1789, did not define who was eligible to vote, leaving it to the states to determine the qualifications for voting. This resulted in significant variations in voting requirements across the nation, with some states restricting voting rights to white male adult property owners, while others did not specify a race or protected the voting rights of men of all races. Notably, women were largely prohibited from voting, except in a few jurisdictions that allowed women to vote if they met the property or tax requirements.
In the early 19th century, state legislatures began to relax property requirements for voting. However, it was not until after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction period that Congress passed the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting the denial of the right to vote based on race. This amendment extended voting rights to men of all races.
Despite these amendments, states continued to impose restrictions on voting rights. For example, in the early 20th century, women could only vote in a handful of states. It was not until 1920 that the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, prohibiting states from denying the right to vote based on sex.
The variability in voting requirements between states continued, and it still persists today. For instance, felons are allowed to vote in some states but not in others. While the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly mention a right to vote, almost all state constitutions do. This has led to legal strategies aimed at protecting voting rights through litigation under state constitutions.
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The Fifteenth Amendment extended voting rights to men of all races
The Fifteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, passed in 1870, extended voting rights to men of all races. Before this, the original US Constitution, which came into effect on March 9, 1789, did not define who was eligible to vote, leaving each state to determine the eligibility criteria. Consequently, most states limited voting rights to white male landowners, while a few states allowed free African Americans to vote.
The Fifteenth Amendment was a significant step towards racial equality in voting rights, guaranteeing that the right to vote could not be denied or abridged based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude". This amendment was passed during the Reconstruction Era, a period marked by progressive changes in the aftermath of the Civil War. Despite this amendment, African Americans continued to face significant barriers to exercising their voting rights, including discriminatory state laws, poll taxes, literacy tests, and intimidation.
The struggle for voting rights for African Americans extended beyond the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, former Confederate states passed Jim Crow laws and amendments that effectively disenfranchised African Americans and poor whites through various discriminatory measures. It wasn't until the civil rights movement of the 1960s that further significant progress was made. The Twenty-fourth Amendment (1964) prohibited the use of poll taxes in federal elections, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 secured voting rights for adult citizens of all races and genders by enforcing the amendments with federal laws.
The expansion of voting rights in the United States has been a long and ongoing process, with various amendments and legal decisions shaping the landscape of electoral participation. While the Fifteenth Amendment was a crucial milestone in extending voting rights to men of all races, it existed within a broader context of resistance and ongoing efforts to secure equal voting rights for all.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution did not establish any specific voting rights, leaving it to the states to determine who was eligible to vote. As a result, most states limited voting rights to white male landowners.
No, women were largely prohibited from voting. However, women could vote in New Jersey until 1807, as long as they could meet the property requirement. Wyoming granted women the right to vote in 1869, long before all women achieved it nationally in 1920 with the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
While a small number of free Blacks were among the voting citizens in some states, most states restricted voting rights to white male landowners. People of colour were often required to own property in order to vote. The Fifteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, passed in 1870, declared that people could not be denied the right to vote because of their race.
